Saudi Arabia has reportedly expressed interest in purchasing General Atomics’ MQ-9B SeaGuardian unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
In response, the American defense contractor has been preparing a package involving a “large number of aircraft” along with arrangements to involve Riyadh’s local industries.
No further details have been disclosed and the deal is still “in the very early stages,” General Atomics’ president Dave Alexander told Defense News at the International Defence Exhibition & Conference 2025 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Riyadh’s Drones
Given Saudi Arabia’s extensive coastline and maritime interests, acquiring the SeaGuardian drones in service with the US Air Force would provide a strategic advantage.
It is a maritime drone variant of the MQ-9 that can be configured to serve in a variety of missions, including anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare and long-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
However, the US has strict regulations on exporting advanced armed drones to countries with questionable human rights records, citing caution over their potential misuse.
Chinese drones have filled in the gap; the Royal Saudi Air Force operates Beijing’s CH-4B Rainbow and Wing Loong II medium altitude, long endurance UAVs.
Traditional US allies in the Middle East, such as the United Arab Emirates, also have Chinese-made drones in service.
In July 2023, Saudi sealed a deal to procure Turkish drones from Baykar.
Thus, if the MQ-9B drone sale is approved, it could signal a strengthened partnership between the US and the Gulf Kingdom.
